Knob



Aaag. E3 1%6. T. s. BRISKIN KNOB Filed Dec. 16, 1944 @3 fimw Z 2Patented Aug. 13, 1946 KNOB Theodore S. Briskin, Chicago, 111., assignorto Revere Camera Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of DelawareApplication December 16, 1944, Serial No. 568,546

Claims. (o1. 74-547) This invention relates to knobs, and in particular,to those adapted to be set flush with the wall or plate on which theknobs are mounted.

This invention has been found to be of particular utility in connectionwith a moving picture camera, although the invention is not to belimited to such use.

Moving picture cameras are provided with a spring motor, the springbeing wound by a knob on the outside of the case of the camera. A knobhas been provided in the form of a plate which is hingedly mounted withrespect to the winding shaft so that it may be folded back against thewall of the camera. It is considered desirable to provide a recess inthe wall of the camera so that no portion of the knob will projectbeyond the camera wall. The objection to this construction, however, isthe difliculty in swinging the knob out from its flush position intooperative position. This cannot be readily accomplished if the operatoris Wearing gloves, and even with bare hands, one is likely to break hisfinger nails, or ,0 encounter other difficulties in attempting to prythe knob out of the recess. Even when the knob is not set into a recess,these objections are present to some degree.

It is an object of this invention .to provide a knob of the typedescribed which is easily released from its inoperative or flushposition, and also to provide one which is spring biased into operativeposition, and which can be latched into its flush position.

A further object is to provide for a knob of this type an improved latchconstruction which can be easily actuated by a depressible button or thelike.

Still another object is to provide an improved knob assembly ofcomparatively few parts, and which is simple to manufacture andassemble.

Other objects, advantages and featureswill become apparent as thedescription proceeds.

With reference now to the drawing, in which like reference numeralsdesignate like parts- Fig. l is an elevation of a moving picture cameraembodying a preferred form of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the knob;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 i a .view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the parts in a changedposition;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken along line 55 of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 6 and '7 are details of certain of the parts.

The reference numeral l0 designates a, motion picture camera having aspring windin knob i l which is set into a circular recess i2 formed inthe wall of the camera. The parts of the knob and knob assembly whichare visible to the observers area semi-circular plate .I 3 which ispositioned in the recess 12 and which rotates with the knob, the hingedplate i which constitutes the manually engaged portion of the knob, ahub plate 20, and a button 35 which projects through the hub plate andis centrally disposed with respect thereto.

Each of th'e plates I 3 and it is in the shape of a half ring, the platel3 being provided with an oifset central portion 5 which is disposedbeneath the hub plate 20. The central portion i 5 and the exposedportion 13 are connected by a transverse portion i6.

Underneath the central portion i5 is provided a back plate I] having athreaded extension l9 which may be screwed into the end of the Windingshaft of the camera. The central portion of the knob assembly, whichcomprises the hub plate 20, the central portion i5 and the backing plateii, are held together by screws IS.

The hub plate 20 i provided with an aperture 21 through which button 35extends. The rear surface of the hub plate 28 is mil-led out to providea centrally disposed circular recess 22, and slots 23 and 24 connectedtherewith. A ringshaped latch member 25 is disposed in the recess 22,and is provided with a radially projecting tongue 26 which is disposedin the slot 23. The end of the projecting tongue 26 constitutes thelatch proper and engages a hinged plate M in a recess '21, formed in theinner edge thereof. A small coiled spring 2.8 is disposed in slot 24which serves to urge the latch member 25 outwardly into latchedposition.

The hinged plate I4 is provided with oppositely disposed and inwardlyextending pivot members 29 and 30 which fit into slots 62 and 43, alsomilled in the rear surface of the hub plate 29. Thus the hinged plate Itmay be rotated from flush position into operative position, and viceversa, the torque applied manually to the hinged plate being transmittedto the hub plate 29 by means of the pivots 29 and 30.

Springs 3: and 32 surround the pivots 29 and 30 and serve to maintainthe hinged plate centered with respect to the other parts. ,The spring32 is provided with a tail 33 which extends into the slot 34 in the hubplate 20, the other end of the spring 32 being suitably anchored to thepivot 30. Thus the hinged plate 14 is urged into its operative position,but may be depressed against the bias of spring 32 into the flushposition in which it is latched.

The button 35 is provided with a flange 36 which engages the rearsurface of the central circular recess 22 which is milled into the hubplate 20. Thus the button is prevented from falling out. The outer andrearward surface of the flange 36 may be somewhat rounded as shown inFig. 3, and it is adapted to engage a cam surface 31 formed by thetapering walls of the aperture in the ring-shaped latch member 25. Thusinward pressure on the button will cause the latch member to bedisplaced from the position shown in Fig. 3, into its released positionas shown in Fig. 4. When the pressure on the button is released, thespring 28 causes the latch member 25 to return to its normal latchedposition, thereby displacing the button outwardly.

The button 35 is provided with a centering pin 38 which is received in asuitable bore in the backing plate i1 and the threaded extension [9.Thus the motion of the button 35 is confined to substantiallyrectilinear motion. 7

The backing plate I1 may be provided with a boss 39, as shown in Fig. 6,which fits into a correspondingly shaped aperturelll in the centralportion [5. The boss and aperture may be suitably shaped to prevent anyrelative rotation between the two, thereby facilitating the assembly ofthe parts.

It will be noted that whereas the hinged plate I4 is a solid piece, theplate [3 and the central portion l5 thereof, may be stamped from muchthinner gauge sheet steel. In stamping the member [3 from such thingauge metal it is considered preferable to provide the outer edgethereof with an inwardly extending flange 4!, both for purposes ofappearance, and to furnish a measure of support for that portion of theplate l3 which is spaced from the recessed camera wall. It will be notedthat the transverse portion [6 closes the end of slot 24, so that thespring 28 is confined between said transverse portion and thedisplaceable latch member 25.

In operation, depression of the button 35 will release the latch 23,thereby permitting the hinged plate Hi to spring outwardly into theposition shown in Fig. 4, wherein it may be readily grasped by theoperator. Thus broken nails may be avoided and the operation may beeffected even though the operator is wearing gloves. At the conclusionof the winding operation, the hinged plate I3 is merely folded back intoflush position against the bias of spring 32, in which position theplate is latched.

Although only a preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown,it will be understood that various modifications and changes can be madetherein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A knoboi the class described comprising a rotatable hub member, ahinged plate mounted thereon for movement from an inoperative position,wherein it is disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to theaxis of rotation of said hub member, into a position wherein it isdisposed in a plane substantially parallel to said axis so that saidhinged plate may be easily grasped, a latch slidingly mounted in saidhub member and adapted to engage said hinged plate to latch the same inthe inoperative position, and depressible means extending through saidhub member, and engaging said latch for actuating the same.

2. A knob of the class described comprising a rotatable hub plate, ahinged plate mounted thereon, and adapted to be moved from aninoperative position, wherein it is disposed in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the axis of rotation of said hub plate, into anoperative position wherein it is disposed in a plane substantiallyparallel to said axis so that said hinged plate may be readily grasped,means for biasing said hinged plate into the latter position, a latchfor locking said hinged plate in the inoperative position, means forbiasing said latch into latched position, and a button mounted in saidhub plate for axial displacement into engagement with said latch, saidlatch being provided with a cam surface which is engaged by said buttonto effect release of said latch when said button is depressed, therebypermitting said hinged plate to move into operative position.

3. In a knob assembly of the class described, a hub member, a hingedplate pivotally mounted with respect to said hub member, and having asemi-circular inner edge adapted to be disposed opposite the edge ofsaid hub member when the hinged plate is in inoperative position, aringshaped latch member having a radially projecting latch adapted forengagement with said inner edge of said hinged plate to latch the samein inoperative position, the inner wall of said ringshaped member beingtapered, and a manually depressible member disposed within saidringshaped latch member so that depression of said manually depressiblemember will cause displacement of said ring-shaped member.

4. In a knob assembly of the class described, a hinged plate, aring-shaped latch member having a radially projecting latch adapted forengagement with said hinged plate, the inner wall of said ring-shapedmember being tapered, and a manually depressible button disposed withinsaid ring-shaped latch member so that depression of said manuallydepressible member will cause displacement of said ring-shaped latchmember, an apertured plate through which said button extends, a backingplate cooperating therewith, and a rearwardly projecting pin secured tosaid button and extending into a bore in said backing plate forcentering said button with respect to said ring shaped latch member,said hinged plate being pivotally mounted on said apertured plate.

5. In a knob assembly of the class described, a hinged plate, aring-shaped latch member having a radially projecting latch adapted forengagement with said hinged plate, the inner wall of said ring-shapedmember being tapered, and a manually depressible button disposed withinsaid ring-shaped latch member so that depression of said manuallydepressible member will cause displacement of said ring-shaped latchmember, an apertured plate through which said button extends and whichis recessed to accommodate said latch member, a spring bearing againstsaid latch member and disposed in a communicating recess in said plate,and a backing plate secured to said apertured plate to confine saidlatch member and said spring in said recesses, said hinged plate beingpivotally mounted with respect to said apertured plate, and having aninner edge which is shaped to clear said apertured plate to permit saidhinged plate to be pivoted into latched position.

THEODORE S. BRISKIN.

